Combination case



Aug. .13, 1940. w w, Km 51- AL 2,211,660

COIIBINATION CASE I Filed Jan. 9. 1937 M7662) VKp'c o azffordJfkovymag Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES COMBINATION CASE Wilbert W. Kidd and Cliflord .1. Thompson,

' Washington, D. C. 1

Application Januar 's, 1937, Serial No. 119,848

2 Claims. :(CI. 45-69) This invention consists of a combination case which is especially adapted for use by agents engaged in the sale of industrial insurance and is designed to accommodate the cumbersome ac- 5 count book, rate books, pamphlets, etc which an agent requires in the solicitation of insurance.

The account book adopted by most of the large insurance companies, engaged in writing industrial insurance, for use by their agents in enterl ing weekly payments, is oblong and of such a thickness that it cannot be carried in an ordinary pocket; furthermore the book, when opened to make entries, is unwieldly, and since the account book entries must frequently be made when 15 the solicitor is standing, entries are difficult to make and use of the book in this manner is attended by many other difficulties which unduly burden the solicitor and prematurely renders the book unsuitable for use. In the present inven- 20 tion we overcome these difliculties by use of av case, a part of which conforms to the shape of the book, the latter being automatically .opened with the opening of the case, as well as automatically closed when the parts of the case are moved 25 into a closed position, the entries being made in the book without removing the book from the case.

The present invention also includes in the case a support for the arm when entries are being made in the book and this is accomplished by the use of covers arranged over the compartment of the case adjacent the book carrying compartment, the covers being hinged or fixed. These covers may alsobe used as a desk while the case is being held in an open position.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the present preferred forms of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a case constructed in accordance with the present invention, the case being shown in an open position.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the case shown in Fig, 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the case in a closed position.

Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary sectional view illustrating the manner of locking one of the hinge covers to a wall of the case.

50 Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1, showing the wall flange used to limit inward movement of the hinge cover in one side of the case.

, Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the case in open 55 position showing modifications in the arrangement of certain compartments and the covers therefor, and

Fig. 7 is a detail fragmentary sectional view of the case sections showing to advantage the book supporting means at the hinged zone of the sec- 5 tions.

The device of the present invention includes a pair of parts -'I and 8 which are hinged, as indicated at 9. Each of the parts is divided into a plurality of compartments. In the part 7, a com- 10 partment l0 extending transversely of said part is formed at one end of the latter, longitudinal compartments ll, I2 and I3 being formed in the remaining portion of part I by the provision of partitions M. The part 8 is provided with compartment I0 extending transversely of said part I 8 in parallel relation to the compartment l0 and being a replica of the latter. The remaining portion of part 8 constitutes one large undivided compartment I5.

The compartments Ill and Ill are adapted for the reception of portions of a book B of the type employed by solicitors of industrial insurance. One of the back portions of the book is mounted in the compartment in and the other in I 0', the pages thereof being turned from one compartment to the other, at the option of the user. When the desired page in the book has been reached, the portions of the book in each com partment are clamped by suitable means, such as indicated at l6. The means l6 consists of spring wire clamps or brackets, each of which has one end thereof engaged with a wall of the case, and the opposite end with a partition of the latter. The book engaging end of each clamp is arranged to lie in close proximity to the outer or upper wall of the part of the case in which it is mount- I ed. In this way the pages may be written on in close proximity to the ends thereof, without interference by the clamp. When a book is carried in an open position in the compartments l0 and II) the book binding, which overhangs the hinge 9 is subject to strain.

, To mitigate this strain, we mount in each of said compartments a support 25. The support may consist of a plate, one end of which is bent at right angles and anchored to a wall of the case adjacent the hinge 9. The opposite end of each plate is reduced and issues into a resilient clasp 26. It will be noted, especially upon reference to Fig. 'l of the drawing, that the supporting plates 25 are spaced from the bottom walls of the compartments l0 and I0. This provides a space between said walls and the book covers which is especially adapted for the reception of insurance policies which are slidably engaged beneath the clasp 26. The free ends of the book engage bevelled walls formed in the tops of the case sections to prevent said free ends of the book from gravitating completely into the bottoms of said compartments. By securing the policies through the medium of the clasp 26 they will be held intact during the opening and closing of the casing, regardless of whether the book is in an open or closed position. Each of the parts I and 8 is also equipped with a hinged cover H, the cover of. the part I being adapted for engagement over the compartments H, l2 and I3, while the cover I! of the part 8 is adapted to close the compartment 15. As shown to advantage in Fig. 2 the covers I! are hinged on the same axis as the parts 'I and 8, hinge loops being formed by extending the lower or inner margins of the covers. The outer or upper margin of each cover is extended to provide a yieldable clip i 8 which is adapted to be flexed over a stud I9 formed on the outer or upper wall of the case. The compartment [5 may also be provided with a flange 20 formed on the wall of the case to limit the inward movement of the cover II. If desired each cover may be provided with a finger opening 2| to facilitate opening of the cover against the resistance of the clip I8.

The compartments I0, I0, II, l2, l3 and I5 are especially designed to carry the necessary books, documents andpapers which are an essential part of the equipment of. an industrial insurance solicitor. As stated above the compartments Ill and H! are adapted for the reception of the industrial insurance account book, which we have found may be conveniently carried in said compartments and retain in open position in a manner described. The compartment H is adapted for the reception of pencils, pens, erasers, etc. The compartments l2 and I3 are adapted to receive rate books, policies, etc., while the compartment I5 is especially adapted for the reception of. circulars and periodicals put out by the companies, in addition to the certain type of application forms or blanks, etc. When the covers I! are in place, an arm rest-is provided to facilitate writing in the account book which is opened in the compartments I0 and I0. Furthermore, the covers I! or either of them may be used as a writing desk. It is, of course, understood that a solicitor is very frequently standing while making entries in his account book, and also while making notations or filling in an application blank, consequently the covers II are essential and desirable for the purposes indicated. While we have shown two covers l1. it is nevertheless to be understood that ii desired a single hinged cover may be used for engagement over the compartments ll, l2 and I3 oi the section 1 or over the compartment|5 of section 8.

In Fig. 6 a modified form of the invention is provided. In this form of invention instead 01! using the hinge cover l1, we employ permanent covers l'l' beneath one of which transverse compartments 22 are arranged which are in parallel relation to the compartment l0. Beneath the cover in the other part of the case, we have shown longitudinal compartments l2 and I3 which extend at right angles to the compartment Hi. When this arrangement is employed the cover 11' is at one end of the case, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The compartments in this form of invention are used in the same manner as in the form of invention shown in the other figures of the drawing, and the covers l1 serve in the same capacity.

It will be noted that in both forms of invention, we prefer to bevel the upper outer corner of each of the case sections, as indicated at 23. Consequently, when the case is in an open position, a guide for the finger is provided to facilitate removal of papers from the compartment IS, the removal of implements or articles contained in the compartment H and engagement of the fingers with the clamp Hi When the latter are near the bottom of the compartments, as show in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

Any form of handle may be employed for the case, but we have shown a duplex type of handle 24, half of which is mounted on the top of section 1 and the other half on the top of section 8.

While we have herein described some of. the view of this invention and preferred forms thereof, we are nevertheless aware that various changes may be made therein, especially in the details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts within the scope of the claims herewith appended.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination case including hinged parts provided at one end with compartments, each compartment being adapted for the reception of a part of a book to support the book in open position when the case is open, and means in the other end of. the case parts to provide an arm rest during the process of writing in a book supported in said compartments.

2. A combination case including hinged parts, a transverse partition in each of said parts to provide parallel compartments each of which is adapted for the reception of a part of a book having a flexible binding, the book binding overlying the hinged zone of the case parts, and a cover engaged over the remaining portion of .4

each of said parts whereby the arm of a person may be supported while writing in the book.

- WILBERT W. KIDD.

CLIFFORD J. THOMPSON. 

